Whale-harpooning apparatus



WHALE HARPOONING 'APPARATUS Filed Feb. 16 1920 2 ShQQBnSh l M@ in w @ffl my; 35%

J. LGGP WHALE HARPOONING APPARATUS mi. so, w23.,

Filed Feb. 16

y@ e IKQI Patented @et 3), M123.,

JOHN D. 110013.02@ LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

'Application mea February 16, 1920. serial No. 358,851.

specification.

rlhis invention relates to aerial apparatus for whaling and has for its object to provide means for harpooning whales, and the invention consists of an aerial machine having harpooning means andmeans for controlling the discharge ofthe same, so as to facilitate the ready location of whales and their capture and subsequent dispatch.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings Vand described and claimed hereinafter. A

Figure 1 is a perspective showingtheuse of the apparatus in the harpooning of a whale.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a hydroaeroplane provided with the harpoony carrying and discharging means. n

Fig. 3 .is a diagrammatic perspective showing a portion of the gondola and illustrating in detail a form ot harpoon releasing.

F g. 6 is a sectional detail view taken longitudinally of the connecting means between the harpoon and contiguousk end of.

the buoy.

Fig. 7 is a perspective of a fragment of a. connecting'pin. h A

Figa 8 isV an end view ,of Va buoy showing the tail blades. y Y y The present invention' is designed to provide an elicient means for greatly Jfacilitating the location of whales or other objects at sea and in water, and 'for enablingthe efficient shooting or capture of the saine so that they may be subsequently dispatchedfor taken to remove the valuable parts thereof,

as in ordinary whaling practices, and `to this end the invention ispreferably incorporated 1n the combination of an airplane FigQt is an` end elevation of the harp'oonl or a hydro-aeroplane, one form of which is generally designated at A and the frame structure thereof is shown `as including in this case a gondola 2 :trom which extends a set of spars or braces 3 connecting, Yfor instance, with the lower trame 4 oic the wing structure. A harpoon, a form ot' which is shown clearly in Fig. 5 at H, is designed to be detachably connected` for instance, to the spars or braces 3 so that the harpoon can rbereadily directed toward and released to strike a' whale indicated at W.

The harpoon is combined with a buoyant member, as a. spool S. so that atter the harpoon has been embedded in the whale the spool or. floating buoy S will serve to Vindicatethe` location of the whale after the huntsmen in the airplane have succeeded in shooting or capturing him and may pass on in the hunt. Y

The harpoon has a suitable point 5 and a shank 6 with across p iece 7 at its hilt 8, which latter is shown in an enlarged portion having a socket chamber' 9 into which there is extended a connecting pin 10. This pin has a notch or shoulder 11 designed to engage a frangible tooth or locking inember 12 having a weakened shank portion 13, the extending end of' the shank 14 being suitably connected or bound to a sleeve 15 fastenedv as by a flanged collar 16 to the head 17 of the spool or buoy S. The sleeve 15 extends centrally into the head 17 ot the buoy and the notch or shoulder 11 is so located that when it is engaged by the latch 12 the endiof the pin 10 extending into the sleeve A15 `is spaced from the inner end ot the sleeve so that the pin is capable ot further inward movement. y

Attached to the hilt of the harpoon is a .substantial rope or other flexible device 1S and a slack length ot this extends rearwardly to the reduced body of the spool or buoy'S on which ,it is wound, as shown in Figs. 5 ando; and the opposite end ot the buoy rope 18 is permanently secured to the buoy.V To prevent the unravelling or working loose of the coils of the rope 1S the end of it passing over the head 17 is bound down by a `cord or small piece of rope 19 tied around the rope, as at 19a and thence passing through an eye 20 in the head 17. rlhe weakened portion 13 of the shank 14C justA connects the binding cord 19, and therefore, Y

Y rection of the whale.

opposite end of the fastening cord or rope 19 is shown as tied or bound around the beyond the head or latch part 12.

The thus assembled harpoon and buoy with the parts .as shown inFig 6 is `attached to the airplane by suitable carrying and releasing means and a form of vwhich is shown in Fig. 3 as comprising ta pair of endless ropes or belts which Vare shown at 21, the ropes or belts having a bight 21 passed around the spars 3 and then each of the belts is coiled around the buoy which is shown in dotted lines at S, withthe opposite or free end 21b passed between the bight 21a of its respective belt and projected suflicientlyv beyond to form a loop to receive any suitable suspending and dropping or releasing` device, such for instance, as a pole, rod, or support 22.

To operate the releasing rod or means 22 a belt cord or other suitable device 23 is attached to the same and this is led to within convenient reach of the pilot or huntsman in the airplane so that upon the location of a whale when the airplane is brought into the desired position, the huntsman can by pulling on the control cordy or rope 23 secure the operation of the releasing device or rope 22 and by releasing the bights 21b of the suspending belts or ropes 21 the harpoon with its attached buoy S is quickly released and may be projected into the di- The rear bight is released irst to allow a guide tail on the rear portion of the buoy to be sulliciently clear of the wing of the aeroplane before releasing the forward bight. In the course of the flight the combined harpoon and buoy will be immediately brought to the normal flying position due to the action of the guide tail.

When the harpoon enters the whale the resistance is such as to force the pin or connecting member 10 back endwise in the sleeve with the result that the notched wall or shoulder 11 tilts the head 12 of the latch rearwardly, and causes the breaking of the weakened part 13 of the shank 14 and diswhen the whale plunges the harpoon is rwithdrawnwith the pin 10 and the rope 18 attached to the harpoon begins to unwind from its spool or buoy S, this being permitted by the now free cord 19 which freely runs back through the eye 2O in the head 17 of the spool. Y

From this it will be seen, therefore, that after the whale has been struck by the harpoon the location/of the whale can be readily determined by reason of the floating buoy Swhich serves'as a plain signal to those following` the huntsmen in the airplane and whose duty it is to secure the whale, as in the ordinary practice of whal- 111g.

To facilitate the direction 'of 'the Yaight Y@i the harpoon with the combinedbuoy, the V It is understood that this device may be used in combination with any form of aerial vessel a'smay be desired and is not limited to use with an air-plane, which is illustrated for example only.

What is claimed is: 1 v

l. An aerial harpoon comprising a penetrating member andfa buoyant member attached thereto, means for disconnecting the buoyant member from the harpoon when the latter has struck the target; and a ilexible connection attached to the buoyant member and connected to the harpoon, the flexible member comprising a rope wound on the body ofthe buoyant member, and means for securing thenwound rope against unwinding until the harpoon-has struck. Y

.2. An aerial harpoon comprising a buoyant member, a penetrating member slidably associated with Vthe buoyant member, a frangible tooth sustained on the buoyant member and engaging the penetrating member in a partly projected position with re- Y spect to the buoyant member, andr means whereby the lpenetra-ting membermay'beV forced inwardly of the buoyant member to cause said tooth to release the penetrating member.

3. An aerial harpoon comprisingy a buoyant member, a penetrating member, a connecting pin` slidablv associated with the buoyant member and connected to the penetrating member, a notch formed in the connecting pin, a frangible tooth carried by the buoyant member and engaging within said Vnotch for maintaining the connecting pin in a partly projected positionwith respect to the buoyant member, a flexible member connected to the penetrating member and trained about the buoyant member, and a second flexible member connected 'to the first flexible member and to the frangible tooth U5 flexible connection attached to the buoyant member and connected to the penetrating member, and means for securing the flexible connection against disengagement from the buoyant member until the penetrating mem- Y ber has struck. y

5. An aerial harpoon comprising a pene-'1 trating member, a second member connected thereto, a flexible member trained about the second member, and connected to the penetrating member, and means for securing the flexible member against unwincling from the second member until the penetrating member has struck a target.

` 6. An aerialba-rpoon comprising a buoy- -ant member, a penetrating member movable on the buoyant member, means for disengaging the buoyant member from the penetrating member, and means for limiting the penetrating movement of the penetrating member, the last means being operable to render the clisengaging means active.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN Vn. Loor. 

